Top Memory Articles of 2013

One of the major areas of interest this year is the advances in 3D memory, which is symptomatic of the general trend in memory topic readership on EETimes, which tends to center around, "What's Next?!"

Memory was hot in 2013, and continues to be a popular subject with EETimes readers. One of the major areas of interest this year is the advances in 3D memory, which is symptomatic of the general trend in memory topic readership on EETimes, which tends to center around, “What’s Next?!” Hope you find this list helpful. (These are the top 10 articles on memory on EETimes during the last year, as voted by your page views.)

3. Slideshow: A Brief History of Memory
Take a look back at some of the early technologies used for digital data storage -- and realize that it would probably take dozens of them to deliver the same capacity as that of your average car key.

8. Why Migrate to DDR4?
The new memory standard offers a 30 percent improvement in power efficiency, along with better capacity, performance, and RAS (reliability, availability, serviceability).

9. Flash Memory 101: An Introduction to NAND Flash
As the price of NAND flash tumbles, it becomes a viable replacement for a hard drive. Here's an introduction to the technology. (Note: This article published in 2006 and remains one of the most popular on EETimes.)

Janine: If the claimed performance and characteristics of non volatile CeRAMs (Correlated electron RAM) based on Ni(CO)4 doped NiO can be established by third parties using the samples promised by Symetrix Corporation and the CeRAM fabrication process repeated, again by third parties, then CeRAM is likely to become the hottest NV memory topic of 2014. IF proven it may be the opening shot in a move towards a whole new field of solid state electronics using other correlated electron based active devices employing material other than silicon.

Clearly the removal by Micron of their 1Gbit PCM products from their web site means that some part of the decision regarding the future of PCM in that company has already been made. Whatever their final decision on PCM, this opens up an opportunity for the long list of competing NV-RAM types of device to replace Flash at sub 20nm lithography. So I think there will be a lot of interest in where Micron intend to go for next generation NV, with or without PCM.

Ron, Thank you for your opinion. I would not want any other way- third parties should verify scientific claims. I want to thank you and everyone for your interest. Three major companies came to see and some actually sat down and tested CeRAM simple cells. The best were the ones that have studied many RRAM approaches and were not buying anything unless they could do a test run. We are creating demos that will look at the 30 nm scales. At that level, only MOCVD or ALD. We chose ALD because it will be more flexible. We are working hard to provide endurance data at that node. Nothing will be disclosed until we are satisfied with endurance. So, we hope to do that by end of November. BUT, I am taking this opportunity to reveal a very important result in CeRAM. First let me summarize three attributes already proven: (1) Retention at 400 C. (2) Read endurance beyond 1E12.{3) non Platinum electrodes. Now, a big breakthrough: Energy of switching at least 1000 times less than STTRAM. As we all know, Magnetic STTRAMs are the lowest switching energies - around 0.02 pick Joules. One of our visitors, looked at our current densities which is kept at 1000 A/cm2 and point out that STTRAM s are 1 MA/cm2. At the same clock rate of 10 nsec, the switching energies of CeRAMs, is 1E-5 pJ. More on this when we make a formal release.

Janine: here for the puposes of discussion is my list in my ranking order of potential next generation 2014 Hot Topic resistance switched NV memory technologies. The highest ranking must go to techologies that employ bulk, or pseudo bulk, switching effects and devices where the matrix isolating devices are integral with or can easily be produced with the meory cell structure. Demonstrations of devices with dimensions equal to or less than 20nm in matrix form are essential if the technologies are to stay on the list. This must include some realistic fact based indication of all electrical and environmental performance parameters that will allow the devices to outperfom Flash.

The list:

1) CeRAM (subject to the provisions of my comment here below regarding third party evaluation of the devices and fabrication methodology)

2)nmRAM-Using metal nano particles in a dielectric, with Pt in SiO as an example. This device at nano particle level exhibits the Coulomb blocking effects of those of the CeRAM at ionic level. Although multiple filament is a bulk effect.

6) Ag-aSi, silver filaments in amorphous silicon I have my own questions on reliability and stability with scaling.

7) All other ReRAM types. Questions with respect to scaling,reproducibility and reliability. When the devices are scaled and the filament has the same cross section area as its contacts will the particular filament based mechanism work without the existence of material surronding the filament; can it operate as a pseudo bulk device.

My list does not include MRAM or FeRAM devices, although they might have the potential to be competitive. PCM is not included because its Hot Topic status has been and gone. I have not included some quantum devices and single CNT or nano wire technologies as I consider them to be the Hot Topics for 2015 and beyond. Perhaps readers will have their own ranking order lists

HI all,Ron Neale asked me to include some graphics to support his comments below. (Honestly, this is the first time I've tried to insert figures, so here's hoping it works and is not, in the words of my teenage daughter, "an epic fail.")

The silver filaments figure (below) illustrates his concernabout the reliability of the Ag-aSi device.

This second figure illustrates his point about the need for an integrated matrix isolation device (i.e a diode).